Bad actors are at it again, calling local residents while pretending to be affiliated with law enforcement and telling them they owe money for fines or other penalties, but Tallahatchie County Sheriff Jimmy Fly warns that it is all just a scam.
"We've had some calls about individuals calling and identifying as law enforcement officers, trying to get people to transfer money into an escrow account to take care of possible criminal charges," Fly told The Sun-Sentinel Thursday afternoon.
The sheriff said such a request would never be made in that manner in a real-life scenario.
"No law enforcement agency is going to call and ask to take money over the phone," he noted.
Anyone who receives such a call or text message should ignore it, and, if possible, never engage with the sender.
The Federal Communications Commission offers tips to protect citizens from becoming a phone scam victim in its online article on how to "Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts."
The National Cybersecurity Alliance also features advice on "How to Spot and Avoid Phone Scams."
